Courageous Grandparenting Blog Archives - Page 8 of 17

Will You Finish First or Finish Well?

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 2 Tim. 4:7

Some years ago, I ran across an article on persistence that I had tucked away in my files. I have no idea who the author might be, but I thought I would share a few excerpts from the article for you to ponder. I am sorry I am not able to give proper credit to the writer, but I suspect he or she won’t mind. I have made a few of my own comments which I have italicized and placed in brackets so you know they were not in the original article.

THE VIRTUE OF PERSISTENCE (Author unknown)

“Persistent action follows commitment—that is, you first must be committed to something before you’ll persist to achieve it…” –Jeff Keller

I recently purchased a copy of William J. Bennett’s book, The Children’s Book of Virtues. I love to read one of its stories to my grandchildren—the fable of the tortoise and hare. You will remember that the persistent effort of the tortoise paid off in attaining the finish line while the much fleeter hare slept along the trail.

Are You the Real McCoy?

by Cavin Harper

The days of the blameless are known to the Lord, and their inheritance will endure forever. Psalm 37:18

A few years ago, my grandson, Corban, and I visited the Western Museum of Mining and Industry in Colorado Spring. We were fascinated by the large steam engines housed there that had been used in the mining industry in the early 1900’s. Each engine depended upon several McCoy oil cups to keep the engines well-oiled and functioning. The McCoy oil cups were a popular and efficient system, and soon inferior copycat versions of the oil cup appeared. Unfortunately, they never measured up to the quality and performance of the original McCoy oil cup. After repeated failures, operators were soon demanding the “real McCoy” to keep their machinery operating.

In the arena of faith, a genuine follower of Christ—the “real McCoy”—is recognized not only by their talk, but also their walk. It’s being able to say like the apostle Paul,

It’s All in a Name!

by Cavin Harper

“Do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus…”
Colossians 3:17

I grew up in a relatively small city in Wyoming where my father built a very positive reputation and name in that community. Almost anywhere I went as a young boy people knew my father and would say, “Oh, you’re Earl’s son!” Many years later when I needed to see the bank about a business loan, my father’s name opened the door for me to secure the loan.

As a child of God, I stand under the authority of the Name that is above every name—Jesus Christ our King. Paul says that all things are placed under His authority and that we have been adopted as sons bearing His Name. As His son and heir I come in the name of our Father, a representative of the King of kings. That means that whatever I do, I must be aware that I am acting as His representative… in His Name.

That includes being a grandparent. The words I speak, the actions I take, the lifestyle I live, the people I serve as a follower of Christ bearing His Name are done under the authority and as representatives of Christ, our King. At CGN we speak of our mission as mobilizing grandparents for Christ who intentionally represent Christ to the next generations.

You Just Have to be Brave…

by Cavin Harper

I am so grateful to be able to share this article from my friend, Ward Tanneberg. Ward has a regular blog feature he writes. He is also a prolific author. One of my favorites of is his novel, Redeeming Grace. His most recent work, Sacred Journey, is his late wife’s story. You will be encouraged and inspired by it.

Ward has been a pastor, author, and most recently, President of CASA 50+ Network before retiring to take care of Dixie during her final struggle with cancer. I know you will be blessed by this article from a man who knows what he’s talking about. It is a good word for all of us, including grandparents who know how hard it can be at times.

–Cavin Harper, Executive Director

ward tanneberg 150x150 This story comes from the lips of two adults watching a little girl twirling on ice. Eventually she skates to the edge of the rink near where they stand watching. “You are so beautiful and so graceful out there,” they exclaim. “How do you do it?”

Wisdom for the Ages

by Cavin Harper

Blessed is the man who finds wisdom, the man who gains understanding. (Prov. 3:13)

After watching this year’s Presidential Inauguration, I was pleasantly surprised by the regular references to Scripture, the Providence and Sovereignty of God, and prayer in Jesus’ name. It was not what I expected, though the incongruity was noticeable. On the other hand, it was a refreshing reminder of the foundations upon which this nation was birthed. Upon these truths, this same nation will perish if those foundations crumble.

The verdict is still out on whether this President will build and rebuild upon those foundations, or whether he will continue to build on the efforts of men rather than the leading of God. I’m not particularly optimistic, but I was grateful, at least, for those on the podium who prayed or read Scriptures referencing the need for wisdom rooted in truth—from God, not men.

Remember it was Job, out of great personal tragedy, who responded to the foolishness of his friends with a measure of sarcasm saying, “Does not the ear test words as the tongue tastes food? Is not wisdom found among the aged? Does not long life bring understanding?” (Job 12:11-12) Good question. Does it? We do know what comes out of a man’s mouth exposes his heart. Read more

Because God Stands Within the Shadows

by Cavin Harper

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (Matt. 5:10)

Monday this nation honors the man who fought without using violent force for righteousness and justice for black Americans—and all those who love freedom. His name was Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Growing up in the turbulent days of civil rights marches led by Dr. King, I did not always appreciate or sympathize with Dr. King and his Southern Christian Leadership Conference. Yet, I later discovered that here was a man who stood upon the truth of God’s Word and the Gospel message. I now believe he was a prophet in his time who faced persecution, discouragement, failures and rejection with patience, forgiveness and hope. How will you use this opportunity to teach your grandchildren the truth about what drove Dr. King to do what he did?

Being Godly… or Seeming to Be?

by Cavin Harper

I have a confession to make. I am an addict. My addition? The applause and approval of others. Though I am an introvert by nature, I love the praises of men even if it’s uncomfortable. I’ve discovered something else. I’m not alone in this addiction.

In his Gospel, John reveals this as a widespread human condition. He writes of the those who believed in Jesus but would not publicly confess it for fear of the Pharisees saying, “they loved the praise from men more than praise from God” (John 12:43). Is there anyone reading this who can relate to this addictive condition? Even if we don’t want to be this way, we can find ourselves trapped in the mire formed from the selfish bent of our hearts. How do we escape this trap?

A Better Resolution

by Cavin Harper

Four Kinds of Grandparents – Part Two

It’s a new year! A time for some new beginnings. I’ve never been a fan of New Year’s Resolutions, but there is one resolution I would get behind as opportunity to impact another generation. It’s the resolution of intentionality.

I’m not talking about being intentional about going to the gym, or reading a good book. I’m talking about the kind of intentionality that is part of what Larry Fowler, CEO of the Legacy Coalition, calls four kinds of Christian grandparents. I wrote about this a few weeks ago. Larry has observed that Christian typically fall into one of these four categories: Biblical grandparents, Cultural grandparents, Blocked grandparents and Unequipped grandparents.

Using the term ‘biblical grandparents’, Larry means those who are intentional about putting into practice the biblical roles God has commanded for grandparents. Who doesn’t want to be a biblical grandparent. But it’s not about being perfect. It’s about intentionally watching for opportunities to teach about and display God’s greatness and grace to another generation. In fact, this matter of intentionality is so critical, that I am going to devote most of my blogs for 2017 to the subject of intentionality.

So, how about a fresh start for you in this matter during 2017? Imagine the impact millions of Christian grandparents could have on the next generation if we all lived with intentionality. I’m not talking about good intentions, but a deliberate choice to put into practice was God has commanded us to do so another generation may know Him and walk in His truth.

You Better Watch Out!… Really?

by Cavin Harper

Do you remember this children’s Christmas song?…

You better watch out, you better not cry,
You better not pout, I’m telling you why,
Santa Claus is comin’ to town…
He’s making a list, he’s checking it twice,
Gonna find out who’s naughty or nice.
Santa Claus is comin’ to town.

As a young boy, I found the tune engaging, but I remember struggling with the idea of any naughty behavior factoring in to my gift worthiness. It just didn’t seem to reconcile with my understanding of God’s goodness. In some part of the world the custom is to put shoes or stockings out on St. Nicholas Day (Dec. 6^th) with a similar warning that if you are not good, St. Nicholas may leave you a lump of coal or a switch instead of something nice. What a dreadful thought!

Hark! The Angels Sing… Why Wouldn’t We?

by Cavin Harper

My favorite Christmas carol is Charles Wesley’s Hark! The Herald Angelsl Sing. It’s a carol rich with truth and powerful images of Christ’s glory as the Prince of Peace, and a moving declaration of His divine humility – “Mild He lays His glory by; Born that man no more may die.”

First titled Hymn for Christmas Day, Wesley’s original lyrics for the opening couplet were “Hark how all the welkin rings…” I know, it was my question too. What is “welkin”? Welkin is olde English for heavens, or sky. The lyrics we know so well today were penned by Charles Wesley’s good friend, George Whitefield, renowned evangelist in the mid-eighteenth century. Whitefield made a few other minor revisions in the verses Wesley wrote, but only three of Wesley’s original five stanzas have remained in this classic hymn-carol sung today.

As I read the forgotten stanzas of Wesley’s powerful carol, it seemed to me this is a lost jewel that needs to be returned to its rightful place in the old hymn setting.

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